


Be My Shelter

by Skylar102



Series: Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Malec Discord Sever WINGO, Pre-Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Winged Alec Lightwood, Winged Magnus Bane, Wingfic, enjoy this pre-relationship fluff, like really light, my boys are going to be happy dammit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23827357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylar102/pseuds/Skylar102
Summary: It’s been three months since Alec decided to join Magnus on their little adventure. A three and a half months since Magnus kidnapped him from his village’s woods. Magnus never expected the quiet man to have such a hidden depth.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716808
Comments: 24
Kudos: 295
Collections: Wingo Summer





	Be My Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Wings as an umbrella
> 
> Bet you thought this would be the last of these two. WRONG
> 
> I have so many Bingo square I want to use for this version of Malec and I cannot wait to share them with y'all
> 
> This fic now has [fanart](https://mariemarion.tumblr.com/post/620571887893905408/it-was-all-you-alexander-youre-the-one-who)!   
> Thank you to [Junie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart) so much for commissioning this and thank you [mariemarionn](https://mariemarion.tumblr.com/) for the beauitful artwork!!

It’s been three months since Alec decided to join Magnus on their little adventure. A three and a half months since Magnus kidnapped him from his village’s woods. Magnus never expected the quiet man to have such a hidden depth. 

Magnus thought it was just any other quick get rich plan. He’s done it before and needed a few coins to get by for the next few months. Magnus was always good to his temporary guest. He talked to them, made sure they were comfortable, gave them food and enough water for a bath if they fancied it. Most of the time the person he kidnapped was happy he was stealing money from their parents. Child rebellion and all that. Depending on the family, he’d get his money within the next few days and let his prisoner go with a kiss on the cheek and a farewell.

When Alec revealed his black wings that dreaded night when he walked in on the man plucking his own feathers out, Magnus knew he couldn’t let Alec go back to his home. He knew Alec was different the minute the man woke up in the bedroom of the house they were holed up in and didn’t demand to be let go. It was like Alec had expected it. Upon seeing his wings he understood why.

Magnus had tried chatting up Alec the first few days after the kidnapping but it was obvious the man didn’t want to talk. Magnus stopped asking questions after he asked Alec what happened to his wings and he had tensed up tighter than any snake Magnus had encountered. Magnus had assumed Alec had lost them, not that he was hiding them. 

Magnus would never forget Alec’s blank face when he walked into the room that night. Magnus didn’t even think before he rushed forward to stop Alec from plucking out even more feathers. He decided then that he was going to give Alec the option to be free from that hell of a town. 

He’s glad that Alec said yes.

He looks at Alec now as they walk through this town’s market. Alec’s eyes are alight with wonder and joy that Magnus barely gets to see, but anytime he does, he savors it. Looking behind Alec he sees the beautiful black wings a feeling of pride washes over him. It took Magnus longer than he cares to admit to reassure Alec that he could have his wings on display without fear. Without having them in the horrid harness against his back that did more harm than good. 

They had started off small, Magnus made a deal with Alec that he could still hide his wings under a cloak when they would go out, but not in that awful contraption. He thought Alec would fight him more on it, but it seems even Alec knew how more comfortable the cloak was compared to his makeshift harness.

One day, they came across some children playing in a courtyard and one of them had black wings. The small boy was laughing and running around with his friends while the parents looked on with fondness and amusement. Magnus had almost run into Alec with how sudden he had stopped. Magnus remembers having a quick remark on his lips that died as he watched Alec stare at the small child with fear and awe. How quickly the tears began to fall as Alec realized the child wasn’t feared by the others. Magnus quickly usher Alec back to their room at the inn before the people began to stare at the grown man crying. 

_ “They weren’t afraid,” Alec sniffles out, rubbing at his eyes to stop the tears. Magnus sat next to him on the edge of the bed. _

_ “No they weren’t,” Magnus says gently. He has to resist the urge to press a hand on Alec’s thigh, unsure if the touch would be welcome. “Like I told you before, black feathers may be rare, but that doesn’t mean they are feared. If anything they are a sign of luck and protection.” Magnus leans forward a bit to catch Alec’s attention. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Alexander.” _

_ Alec nods his head, sniffles and wipes his eyes one more time before turning his head to Magnus. Alec gives him a wobbly smile that is the brightest smile Magnus has ever seen him give.  _

_ “Thank you, Magnus,” Alec gets out. “I’m sorry to have doubted you about that. It’s just,” he hesitates, looking away from Magnus. “I think it’s different being told that it’s normal and seeing it with your own two eyes.” _

_ “I get that, Alexander.” Magnus gives in to his urge and presses a hand to Alec’s thigh, giving it a squeeze. “I never would have pressured you into showing them. You know that right?” _

_ “Of course I do, Magnus.” Alec turns his attention back to him.  _

_ “I trust you.” _

“Earth to Magnus!” Alec’s voice calls out to him. Magnus snaps back to the present and sees that they’ve stopped in front of a spice stall. 

“What?” Magnus blurts. Alec laughs, looking at him in amusement.

“I said what other spices do we need for dinner tonight?” 

“Oh,” Magnus coughs. He can already feel a blush rising on his cheeks and judging by the vendor’s amused look, he’s not doing a good job to hide it. Magnus ignores the look and points to some of the spice barrels. “Just a small pouch of this one and that one.”

The vendor scoops up the spices and puts them in tiny pouches. Alec hands the woman the right amount of coin which the lady hands a few back to them. 

“A discount,” she says with a wink. “For my favorite customers.”

“You’re too kind, Aline,” Alec says as he pockets the money. “Next time I will be paying in full. I’m sure your wife wouldn’t be too happy that you’re giving out free spices.” Aline laughs and waves a hand at Alec, her navy blue wings flutter behind her. 

“Please Alec,” Aline giggles. “You and I both know that Helen would have given you those spices for free. She has a soft spot for you that’s even softer than mine. I’m the one who remembers that we run an actual business.” Alec blushes at the words and Magnus can’t help but join in Aline’s laughter.

“And what a fine business it is,” Magnus says as he gestures to the vast array of spices in front of him. “Do let us know when the next shipment is in? Alec is upset he doesn’t have more manual labor to do in this city and could use the exercise.”

“Hey!” Alec objects, causing the other two to laugh again. Alec slaps a wing against Magnus’ causing him to stumble a bit. Magnus being the adult that he is sticks his tongue out at Alec. Alec rolls his eyes while Aline snorts at their antics. She looks between the two of them with fondness.

“Of course I will, Magnus,” Aline says with a grin. “You two enjoy your dinner. Come back soon!” Alec and Magnus wave at Aline as they walk away from the stall. They stop at two more places to say hello to their friends and begin the journey back to their place. 

They fall into comfortable silence as they follow the stone pathway, the sky above them is turning grey. Magnus can’t help the glances he makes towards Alec. The man hasn’t stopped smiling since they left the market and Magnus is pretty sure this is the longest he’s seen Alec smile.

Magnus nudges his burgundy wing against Alec’s causing the man to look over.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Magnus says with a soft smile. Alec ducks his head before looking ahead.

“I never thought I would say this but, I’m happy,” Alec says with a grin. “After I was told what the color of my wings meant as a child, I never thought I would feel that way again.” Alec turns to Magnus with a bright smile. “I guess I have you to thank for that.”

Magnus’ heart swells at the words and he feels butterflies in his stomach. For a man who barely spoke a word months earlier, Alec sure had a way to make Magnus fall even more for him. Not that Alec knew that, Magnus didn’t want to rush the man into anything he wasn’t ready for. But if the lingering looks Magnus has caught every now and then, the feelings are mutual. 

“It was all you, Alexander. You’re the one who took that leap of faith.”

“Yeah, but your speech was pretty convincing.”

“Are you ever going to let me live that down?” Magnus laughs out. Alec smiles at him mischievously.

“Never.”

“Well in that case,” Magnus says with a twinkle in his eye, “I’ll just have to one up mysel-”

His words get cut off as a loud roll of thunder booms across the sky causing the two men to jump. Not a moment later rain begins to pour down on the two. Magnus is about to tell Alec to make a run for it when his view is blocked by black feathers. The rain is no longer falling on him. He looks over at Alec to see the man is avoiding eye contact as he raises his other wing above himself to keep out of the rain.

“It’s easier this way,” Alec mumbles out. “I also don’t feel like running.”

“Of course,” Magnus says hoarsely before coughing to hide it. “Lead the way, Alexander.”

“Right.” Alec jerks his head in a quick nod before continuing the trek home. Magnus can feel the curve of his wings touch Alec’s every now and then causing him to shiver. They haven’t touched each other’s wings with their hands since that day when Magnus gave him the salve. Sure their wings have touched but that’s unavoidable with how large wings are, but they’ve never gotten to the point of touching with hands.

Magnus wants nothing more than to bury his hands in the soft feathers that hover above him. He had gotten a brief taste of their feel all those months ago and he craves to touch them again. He knows that was a special circumstance, though Magnus has not been subtle in his musings about the possibility of letting Alec groom his wings. Alec always quickly changed the topic when Magnus brought it up or pretended to not hear the unsaid question. 

There were only so many times Magnus could whine about not being able to reach some of the feathers near his shoulder blades before it was too much. Magnus decided to just go to a groomer to get them professionally done, but it’s not the same as to have someone whom you trust do it. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Alec groom his own wings. Magnus looks at the wing above him and can see some ruffled and loose feathers that could use a hand to brush through them. Possibly Magnus' hand?

“We’re here,” Alec says breaking him out of his thoughts. They stand before the threshold to their small two story house. Alec opens the door and gestures at Magnus. “After you.”

“My, how chivalrous of you,” Magnus jests as he steps inside. He turns to watch Alec stand in the doorway and shake his wings out behind him before the man steps inside. In the low light of their house, Alec’s wings shimmer creating the most beautiful sight Magnus has ever seen. Before Magnus is able to clear his head and suggest helping Alec, Alec is already walking towards the stairs.

“Why don’t you get a start on dinner?” Alec says as he brushes past Magnus. “I’m going to dry my wing’s off.”

Alec doesn’t even wait for a reply before running up the stairs. Magnus hears a door close and releases the breath he had been holding. Alec is going to be the death of him. Shaking his wings of what little water was on them, Magnus heads into the kitchen to begin dinner. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Skylar10211)
> 
> Want to talk about Shadowhunters with other fans?
> 
> [Join our Discord!](https://discord.gg/fhbfNFA)


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